A mentally ill Houston judge experienced a meltdown after her proposal to hike property taxes to pay for “early childcare programs” failed to pass.
The proposal by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo called for there to be a November ballot measure vote on her desired property tax increase.
“Hidalgo had proposed the tax increase to continue funding child care programs that began with federal pandemic relief money, which is set to expire next year,” according to local station KPRC.
But instead of making her case the normal, mature way, Hidalgo reportedly decided to use little children to make a spectacle.
Watch:
REMOVAL: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has struggled with with mental health problems since she took office. For the sake of Houston and Harris county she should be removed for incompetence under Chapter 87 of the Local Government Code. Listen to this exchange… pic.twitter.com/ReqYCyB6zn
— @amuse (@amuse) August 7, 2025
“Hidalgo goaded dozens of children, who attended the meeting to support the continued funding of a slate of early childcare programs, to call on commissioners to vote in favor of the proposed tax increase,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
“Multiple calls for decorum were ignored by Hidalgo, who repeatedly interrupted commissioners during discussion on the matter,” the Chronicle’s reporting continued.
According to local station KTRK, Hidalgo at one point also “called a recess, slammed her laptop, left the room, and went to meet with families from the program who attended the meeting.”
Her colleagues weren’t impressed with her tactics:
Commissioner Garcia’s statement on Commissioners Court decorum. pic.twitter.com/r8AeZ2a0ku
— Harris County Precinct 2 (@HarrisCoPct2) August 7, 2025
Please see my statement on Commissioners Court decorum.
—-
Por favor, vea mi declaración acerca del decoro en la Corte de Comisionados. pic.twitter.com/FA370xypYJ— Commissioner Lesley Briones (@HCP4__Briones) August 7, 2025
In fact, a majority of her colleagues ultimately voted to censure her.
“Commissioners Lesley Briones, Tom Ramsey and Adrian Garcia voted in favor of admonishing Hidalgo,” the Chronicle notes. “Commissioner Rodney Ellis cast the lone dissenting vote.”
They also apologized to the public for her behavior:
WHERE IS LINA HIDALGO?
Harris County (Houston) Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo has left Commissioners Court meeting after melting down because commissioners didn’t support her idea for higher property taxesCommissioner Adrian Garcia apologizes to the audience and public pic.twitter.com/aVzUjWziyH
— Joseph Trimmer (@JosephTrimmer_) August 7, 2025
Besides being unhinged, Hidalgo is also mentally ill.
“In 2023, Hidalgo took a leave of absence after announcing she was being treated for clinical depression,” KPRC notes. “Since then, she has received weekly therapy.”
Her mental illness became an issue in May when the commissioners’ court meetings were rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, the same day as the judge’s group therapy.
The judge, for her part, tried to convince her colleagues to reschedule the court meetings again.
“As you guys know, I have to take a break between 3 and 4 o’clock — I have my group therapy,” she said. “We knew this when we rescheduled to have the commissioners’ court on Thursday. So that was my asterisk when we decided to move courts on Thursdays.”
She then asked the commissioners to hold their planned Thursday vote until after the completion of her group therapy, but this bothered fellow commissioner Adrian Garcia.
“I walk into these meetings with my day planned, and today, I already have commitments,” he said. “If we lose an hour without anything productive, it really disrupts my schedule. So, I would also like some consideration for my schedule.”
He also called for having the vote regardless of whether Hidalgo had returned from therapy. She didn’t like this, so she responded by accusing Garcia of picking on her:
MENTAL ILLNESS Harris County Texas (Houston) Judge Lina Hidalgo is mentally ILL
She leaves work during regularly scheduled court meetings to get “group therapy” for her condition
One time she left for 2 months for treatment and claims CONSPIRACY THEORISTS are after her
OK??? pic.twitter.com/ETFfTp0RwT
— Joseph Trimmer (@JosephTrimmer_) July 9, 2025
“I would just like to underscore that you’re joining the ranks of those who have tried to pick on me for mental health treatment,” she said.
“No, no, please, please, we’re not going to go there,” Garcia responded. “I got put on the planning commission, that’s on Thursdays. We moved the court to Thursdays—I can’t make all the planning commission meetings, that’s why I have my proxy there and we’re able to continue the business.”
“I can’t send a proxy to my mental health treatment,” Hidalgo replied. “Yes, Commissioner, let’s just move on, OK? If you want to have the vote without me, have the vote without me. I’ll remind the community that you are interfering with something that I mentioned before. People can see your behavior, and frankly, I think it’s embarrassing, but that’s OK. Alright, let’s move on.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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